Magic School Bus: British Invasion
by P.B. Fluff
Summary: Born slightly of a love of A/W and slightly of a love of the idea of The Bus driving decked out with a British flag on the hood. MSB crew in high school. Mostly focuses on Arnold. Rated mostly for Arnold's daydreams and language. Hey, they're teenagers!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One – Since the Age of Eight

Olives. It was strange that that would be the food he would always remember her by. Not the Halloween candy they'd shared and traded years afterward going trick or treating together, nor would it be her grandmother's potstickers the family had insisted he try, served alongside of grilled hotdogs at a Fourth of July barbecue he'd been invited to. No, the food he would always remember Wanda Li by would be olives, green pickled olives to be precise.

He'd been trying to impress her by breaking a school record. Impressing Wanda. That was always a challenge. But he'd wanted to. Ever since the age of eight. It wasn't that he didn't think Wanda liked him. On the contrary she'd told him on several occasions the opposite. "You're my best friend, Arnold" she'd often told him, and he knew she often sought out his approval on a number of differing decisions. But it never seemed like enough. When he was older, he knew why.

It never seemed like enough, not because Wanda was expressly hard to impress nor because Arnold had so much to do in order to impress. It was because the way he felt about her made impressing her seem so much harder.

When he was being most honest with himself, Arnold would admit that the inexplicable way he felt about her began with the olives. It began in the third grade with trying to impress her. With, inspired by the image of her throwing her arms around him in impressed congratulations, the overstuffing of his stomach, with olives.

"Arnolllllld," Wanda's exasperated voice broke through his daydreaming. "Come on. If we don't a move on we'll be late."

Arnold blinked. "Right."

She sighed again and reached up into his locker. "It's history next period. Did you forget?" She handed him his history book.

"Right," he said again shutting his locker. Halfway down the hall he noticed Wanda's bookload missing a book. "Where's YOUR history book?" he asked her.

"I left it at home, I was running a little late this morning and I forgot that I left it in the living room. Share with me?"  
He smiled, "Sure."

"So, " she started when they were almost in front of Mr. Deranga's classroom where he taught history, "think you'll go on the end of the year class trip?"

"Been thinking about it, yeah." Arnold replied. "Any news on where it's to yet?"

"Well most of the rumors say it's going to be to the UK, you know, visit Tower of London and all that, everyone says that's why Mr. Deranga's been focusing so much on British History and Ms. Petrarcha's been focusing so much on British Literature. Say we'd visit Stratford Upon Avon and the Globe Theatre and all that. I'm definitely going, it sounds like a blast. And you know the best part?" She said, putting her notepad and calculus book down on her desk beside his.

"What?" he asked.

"Arnold, we'll be OF AGE over there. Eighteen. Think about it. Clubs, bars... we can be young and party LEGALLY and the escorts won't be able to do a THING ABOUT IT!" She practically squealed the last part.

Arnold laughed. "That's true," he responded. He, who had never been much for loud parties with alcohol wasn't nearly as excited about the party scene as Wanda apparently was though the thought of being able to drink legally on the travel trip had crossed his mind. He'd envisioned himself more times than he cared to admit, downing a tall glass of some drink to make up for his lack of proper courage and telling Wanda point blank how he felt about her, her response being that she'd always felt the same about him while throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a passionate kiss...

"Arnold did you hear me?" Wanda was saying.

Arnold flushed.

"Not another allergic reaction? I told you to stay away from Phoebe's experiments in the greenhouse."

Arnold flushed even deeper. "No, no I'm fine. Just a little warm in here's all."

"Yeah, they really don't seem to need the heat on quite so high." Arnold was glad she agreed. "Anyway, I said, I'm impressed you're going. You do know Ms. Frizzle's the backup to go with us if Mr. Deranga or Ms. Petrarcha can't go, right?"  
Arnold felt all the color and heat drain out of his cheeks and wouldn't have been surprised if it all had kept right on going down to his toes and shoes, eventually sinking into the floor. THE FRIZZ? He was alarmed. But he refused to show it. After all, Wanda had just commented on his supposed bravery.

"Well," he rationalized out loud to himself, while trying to keep his tone light, " what're the odds both of them won't be able to make it? Besides," he added untruthfully, "I'm beginning to feel a little nostalgia for The Frizz."

Wanda laughed and Mr. Deranga called to the class to quiet down. Arnold barely paid attention the entire lesson. What with worrying over the Frizz, who he continually reminded himself would likely not be going, the possibilities for telling Wanda how he felt, and the fact that she was sitting closer to him than normal, so close he could smell the clean, slightly fruity scent of her shampoo was more than enough to distract him for a fourty minute history lesson.

The bell rang and Arnold, who had been trying very hard not to lean into Wanda's scent was startled into gathering his things hoping she hadn't noticed anything.

"Arnold, aren't you forgetting something?" Wanda called. He turned and she again handed him his history book, which he'd left on his desk.

He smiled. "Right. Thanks."

"No problem. But geeze, what is with you today? You alright?"

"Yeah, uh, just not much sleep."

"Poor Arnold, up late studying." She said simpathetically, patting his shoulder.

He flushed again, partly because he'd not wanted to admit the real reason he'd not been paying attention in class, and partly because the only reason truly hadn't got much sleep the previous night was because he'd spent the latter portion of it watching the porn channel that was sometimes less static and more... porn.

He swallowed, trying very hard to NOT envision Wanda in the lingere he'd seen on tv last night and said, "That's me, work, work, work."

She laughed, "See you around Arnold," she said, waiving to her current boyfriend who she'd seen walking towards her and running to join him.

"See you," he replied sighing to himself as she left and thinking he seriously needed to get a grip.

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	2. Chapter 2

It was the question on everyone's minds, "who are you going to prom with?" Arnold very well knew who he would like to go with, if he went at all. The more socially awkward side of him had elected that it might be better to scrap the whole affair and stay home reading the new book his father had recommended to him. After all, he'd rationalized to himself, Wanda was obviously going to be going with her boyfriend of three months and when he was being honest with himself, there really wasn't anyone else he'd wanted to go with.

"You should just go with Phoebe, DA, Carlos, Ralphie and me," Keesha was telling him as she shifted her goggles and tweaked the heat on their bunsen burner in the lab. "Oh bad!" she shrieked as the flame rose alarmingly and she scurried to turn the heat down, burning one of her fingers slightly in the process. "Damn it!" She swore under her breath. "I can never remember which way to turn the dial to adjust the heat the way I want it."

"Just think of it as righty-tighty, lefty-loosey."

She stared at him a moment, dark eyes magnified by her goggles, and then laughed. Arnold shrugged as she continued to giggle. "Where'd you hear that?"

"My uncle's a chemistry teacher at the university. Sometimes he'd let me help him with experiments when I'd visit him in his office and he told me that's how he always remembered it."

She laughed again. "You know that doesn't really make sense, right? I mean, how does righty-tighty, lefty-loosey have anything to do with it?"

"Sure it makes sense. Right the valve is tight and not letting any gas through. Gas is what makes the burner burn. So right means less flame. Left the valve gets more open and lets in more gas feeding the flame, thus, higher flame."

Keesha shook her head. "Whatever you say, Arn. I guess that makes sense though. Sorta like a gas stove burner. I'll have to remember that. Anyway, why don't you come with us?" she asked as she measured their chemicals in the graduated cylinder.

"I dunno, I'm really just not all that interested in going," without Wanda as my date, he finished internally.

Keesha rolled her eyes. "Come on, Arnold. Not interested in going? It's senior prom. You're supposed to dress nice, go, have a good time, and afterwards go to Denny's at 1 am with your friends."

"Yeah but your group is all couples, I'll just be a spare tire."

Keesha laughed again. "You mean fifth wheel. And no, you wouldn't be. Phoebe's actually the fifth wheel right now. And Phoebe's friend Angie and DA's friend Lisa from Physics club are probably going to meet up with us. Tim'll probably come too. This is the twentyfirst century, Arn. Prom isn't about finding a soul mate anymore, it's just about having fun with friends. Come with us."

"Alright, alright. Geeze. I'll go with you guys."

"Yay!" She hugged him.

"Just..."

"Just what?"

"Just that, well, I mean, it won't be like people coupling off? Like it won't be like Phoebe's my date, right? I mean, i just don't want anyone to get the wrong impression. People used to think we were dating and I just don't... want anyone to get the wrong idea, that's all. I mean, I'm flattered people would think that, Phoebe's great, it's just, we're just friends."

Keesha narrowed her eyes as she adjusted her goggles again. "Who would get the wrong idea? Anyway, who cares? I mean, graduation will be another month after prom, it's not like you'll have to keep explaining to people that you're not dating for the rest of your natural born life. Who're you worried about getting the wrong idea, hmm? Some secret crush you're too shy to ask?"

"More like too smart to ask," he muttered to himself, adjusting his own goggles. They kept pinching into his cheeks.

"Oh Arnold. You're a sweet guy. I'm sure she'd say yes." She leaned in closer, a conspiratoral grin spreading across her face. "Now fess up. Who's the lucky girl?"

Arnold shook his head. "No way, Keesh. Nuh-uh."

"Oh for god's sake. Arn, come on. I won't tell anyone. Invite her. You can bring her with us. Then it won't be so pressing and awkwardly date-like. Now who is it?"

"Look," Arnold said, turning the burner off and lifting his goggles off his eyes to rest on top of his head, "she's already got a date. A boyfriend actually. So that's it." he finished bitterly, slamming his book shut a little harder than he'd intended. He savagely picked up the supplies they'd been using for the experiment and took them over to the sink to wash them out. His motions rougher than usual, one of the fragile beakers shattered in his grip and the sink filled with broken shards and blood-red tinged water.

"Damn it," Arnold swore under his breath.

"You alright?" their teacher, Ms. Graycil asked. Regally ignoring the swear Arnold was certain she'd heard as she pulled her goggles back to sit on her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

"Fine," Arnold muttered, embarrassed. The bell rang and the rest of the class filed out the door.

She examined his cut fingers and the mess in the sink. "I've got a first aid kit in my office. Back in a moment Mr. Perlstein. Ms. Franklin, you can clean up the non broken part of your work station."

"Oh, Arn," Keesha's voice was softer and lower as Ms. Graycil dissappeared into her office. "It's Wanda, isn't it?"

He looked up from his hands for the first time in the last five minutes as he dumped into the garbage can the shards of broken glass he'd managed to scrape out of the sink with a paper towel.

He was about to ask, "How did you know?" but instead asked, "Is it that obvious?"

"I'd wager to everyone except you and her. But sometimes I feel like even she's picked up on it and either doesn't want to screw up your friendship or likes you too and is convinced her picking up on your shameless crush on her is a result of her seeing what she wants to see. Or a combination of both. You are her best friend after all."

"Then why's she been shutting me out this year?"

"Dunno. Could be she figures if you haven't made a move by now, you never will. Self preservation and all that. Or it could be the fact that that boyfriend of hers is a selfish, possessive, asshole."

Arnold laughed. "Yeah, I kinda picked up on that. Though I didn't want to be the one to say it. Didn't want to look jealous and all."

"Even though you are," Keesha pointed out, putting the last of their supplies away.

"Yeah."

"Ok," Ms. Graycil called from her office. "Gauze or band-aid?"

Arnold examined his fingers. They weren't severely cut, the cuts weren't deep, but they were many. He had a hard time deciding whether the bandaids would be able to cover all the cuts effectively.

"Uh, surprise me," Arnold called back.

They heard the clack of the first aid kit being shut and the scrap of it against the wood as their teacher slid it back in it's proper place. "Gauze it is!"

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Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: sorry to anyone who's read this, I'm a horrendously unreliable updater when it comes to fanfic, which is why I usually try to stick to oneshots and the like. Anyway, this is super ambitious for me, probably at least ten chapters, maybe more. Hopefully I'll not be a lazy bum and actually WRITE them all, lol, but I make no promises. Anyway, I also have yet to do a disclaimer so I suppose it's high time I make sure no one thinks I'm getting any profit off of this fic I may or may not finish and it's also time to say I don't own the characters I'm writing about. Anyway, without further ado, I give you the long awaited (or not) chapter three.

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"Ohhhhhhh you look so handsome!" she shrieked as she straightened his shirt and helped him with his bow tie.

"Moooom!" Arnold whined, writhing out of her grip. "Enough already. You're going to pull the threads out if you keep tugging my shirt down."

"Oh don't be ridiculous. If you'd just stand up straight already -"

"I have been!"

She patted the shoulders of his jacket down one more time and smoothed out the sleeves. "Alright then. I suppose you're ready now."

"Finally," Arnold muttered.

"Show your mother some respect," his father called from the kitchen. He returned with his signature nightly glass of red wine and was looking his son over. "She's just trying to help you look presentable. Though you do clean up pretty nice, I have to say."

"Right. Thanks dad."

"Shoes fit you ok? I never wore them much."

"Yeah dad, they're fine."

"Good." His father sipped from his glass and sat in his designated usual chair, picking up his current book and turning to the marked page. Hehadn't noticed until visiting his friends's houses, just how quiet his family was. It didn't bother him really, for the most part, he felt the understood one another well enough to sit together quietly and not feel awkward. But sometimes the silence pressed on him and he felt himself wishing for a louder house, like the Li's, with it's ever changing zoo of mad pets, the two dogs continually still getting into trouble, and Wanda's brother's band practicing in the garage. Even Keesha's apartment, which was only shared by she and her grandmother, had a steady hum of noise. Jazz or swing or NPR played almost costantly, their parrot, Tooty, babbled whatever he'd heard on the news that morning, and Keesha's grandmother was almost always on her feet, baking or cooking a dish for a needy neighbor, or on the phone, planning with someone the next dance at the senior center, or the next food or clothing drive for needy children.

"Well," his mother said, breaking the silence, "I should go get my camera. Wait right there." She dashed from the sitting room.

Arnold shifted awkwardly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence dad."

"No problem son. Have a good time tonight. Just don't do anything stupid."

"No dad. Course not. And don't stay out too late. Since it's prom we'll be... lax on curfews, just call if you think you're going to be super late. Let us know you're alive and not in jail or anything."

"Um, ok."

A long silence ensued while his father returned to his reading and Arnold stood awkwardly, examining himself in the mirror above the fireplace mantle. He felt constricted and like he didn't belong in the suit. His lanky form made just about everything look too big for him and it made Arnold feel even more diminished and unimpressive. He frowned at his reflection and thought to himself, "I should have just stayed home tonight."

The doorbell rang. "That's probably Keesha or one of the group," Arnold said, needlessly. Who else would it be?

It turned out, "who else" was a tearful Wanda.

"Wanda?" Arnold asked, incredulously. Seeing her at his doorstep wasn't all that surprising. After finding out about "Arnold's secret heartache" as Keesha had dubbed it, she'd made it a point to insist Wanda and her boyfriend join in on their group carpool and dinner at a quiet, yet somewhat laughably swanky Italian place not far from the dance before heading to the dance itself. His first thought was to invite her in, but he knew how she'd always hated other people seeing her cry. Thinking fast he slipped outside and closed the door behind him.

"You ok?" He questioned as he lead her to the porch swing. "Stupid question" he thought. "Of course she's not ok." He quickly ammended the question with, "What's wrong?"

She sniffed and wiped one painstakingly made up eye, smearing the mascara and eyeliner and glittery eyeshadow in a wet, teary, dark streak.

"Rick - he -" she stopped again, leaking more tears silently, as though she were working too hard keeping her sobs contained and was worried that if she spoke more they'd burst from her mouth.

But she'd said enough for Arnold to get started with. Her boyfriend. Rick. "Rick. Rick what?" No answer. "Rick, did something." She nodded. "Something I'm guessing worse than not getting you a corsage?"

She laughed. "Yes."

"Ok. Worse things than no corsage. Hmmm," Arnold was trying his best to come up with something else that might make her laugh enough to where she'd be ready to talk. But she beat him to his next joke.

"He's been cheating on me." Her words were flat, like saying them had deflated her somehow.

"He's been -"

"Cheating on me. Yes."

"How'd you find out?"

Wanda gave a grating laugh. "I met the other girl."

Arnold's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way, she was there?"

"Not by Rick's invite I can tell you." She swallowed again. "No, apparently he fed her some cock and bull story about having to babysit his sister's dog and she showed up there "to help him doggysit" and whole thing blew up in his face." He noticed the last phrase was said with a certain level of satisfaction as she stuck out her chin defiantly.

"I'm so sorry, Wanda."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"I know, but I'm still sorry."

She shook her head again. "Don't be. I - I was stupid. I think I sorta saw it coming. I mean, he fed me the same sort of crap. 'Can't come out tonight, my cousin's making cupcakes.' I mean, what? They weren't even good lies." She laughed a little. "You know, most of me isn't really even hurt. Like, I realize now it's not like he was really the catch of the day anyway. Mostly I'm just annoyed at myself for being so stupid and not seeing it."

"You're not stupid. It's not like - it's not like there's some sort of guide for this stuff. You know?"

"Yeah. But I mean, I knew for a while it was stupid. And I mean, he kept going on about how I was going on the trip at the end of the year and he wasn't and I was leaving him behind and blah blah blah. Like, 'I'm friggin' sorry he's BORING and has the money to go but no interest and here I've been saving up since seventh grade just so I could have the opportunity because damnit I'm young and I should take advantage of it while I can!"

Arnold didn't know what to say to that but nodded anyway to show he was listening.

"It was just dumb. I think... I think I just wanted to have a boyfriend."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Stupid, right?"

Arnold shrugged. "I've seen stupider."

Wanda laughed. "When?"

"Me. With Tiffany. For like, what, six weeks last year?" Wanda laughed and Arnold went on. "I mean, nice girl and all. But by three weeks we realized we had nothing in common. By four we realized that meant we had nothing to talk about. By six we realized we were just waiting for it to end."

Wanda laughed again. "That's what I was waiting for. You know what's sick? I kept thinking, 'what if he gets in a motorcycle accident while I'm away? Or what if the plane I'm non crashes and I'm a goner? What if what if what if?' Like, it couldn't end without an END end, you know? You know it's bad when you'd rather die than be with someone."

"That is pretty extreme," Arnold commented seriously. She sniffed and they were both quiet for a time. Arnold had wanted to put his arm around her, hug her, hold her close, but she'd always made it a point, in the few times he'd seem her cry, to make it known she wanted a certain level of distance when she cried. And he didn't want to appear too eager to touch her. Much as he still pined after her, he didn't think now was the best time to make a move. Instead he turned his body to face her and said, "You sure you're going to be ok?"

She returned his serious gaze. "I'll be fine.

"Yeah?"

Ralphie pulled up in his enormous van and Keesha, Carlos, DA, Phoebe, and Tim began clambering out.

"Hey, Arn! We gonna do this thing or what?" Ralphie called.

Wanda looked up at Arnold for a minute. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Let's do this thing."

"You still want to go?"

"Hell yeah I still want to go! Think I'm going to let that asshole ruin my senior prom? Besides, I'll have more fun with you guys anyway. Rick's not much of a dancer. He mostly mopes and complain's the music's bad."

Arnold laughed. "I'll be right back," he told Wanda. "I'll get you a kleenex and then we'll be on our way."

"Can I just use the bathroom real quick for a sec? I don't want... I don't want..." she trailed off, furiously as she could while still remaining careful wiping at her eye.

Arnold nodded. "You don't want anyone to see." Wanda nodded back. He shouted to Ralphie, "Hang on I just gotta get my wallet."

He helped her to the bathroom where Wanda carefully dabbed a wetted wad of toilet paper under her eye. He watched her, standing aside frowning down at the toilet paper roll he was holding. "Wanda, you know - I mean, I know you hate people seeing you cry. I've known that about you since we were eight years old. But, I mean, Ralphie, Keesha, Phoebe, D.A., Carlos, Tim... we're your friends. I mean, you know none of them would..."

She answered his unfinished sentence. "I know you wouldn't. That's what's so great about you all. It's not even so much I didn't want anyone to see I'd cried. I just don't want anyone to see I wasted tears on that douchebag." She finished wiping up her face, gave herself a look over in the mirror and turned to Arnold. "There. All ready."

Daringly, Arnold held out his arm for her. She smiled at him blinking stubbornly through still wet eyes and took his arm. "Thanks, Arn. Let's go." He led her out of the bathroom and into the living room where his mother had returned with her camera. She looked up when they entered. "Oh, Wanda! So good to see you! Arnold didn't tell me you two were going together."

They looked at each other. "We er.. aren't," Arnold offered lamely.

"Just a bunch of us friends," Wanda agreed quickly coming to his rescue.

Mrs. Perelstein smiled. "Of course." Outside, Ralphie honked right on time.

"They're outside waiting for us, mom." Arnold said.

"Now just hold on a minute there. Just a few pictures!"

"Moooo-oooom!" Arnold protested.

"Just a few! In front of the fireplace with you mister!"

Arnold accepted defeat and quickly posed where his mother directed him as she snapped the camera. He made to leave when she said, "wait wait! I didn't get it! I told you I still don't understand this camera you and your father bought me for Hanukkah."

"Here, Mrs. Perlstein. It's just the top button here." Wanda directed, gently showing his mother while she grinned a laugh at Arnold.

The older woman adjusted her glasses. "Oh yes right of course. Thank you dear." She took a picture of her son and smiled. "I think I did it!"

"Here, you can check, you just hit the side arrow there."

"Oh, there he is!" Wanda nodded and laughed at his mother's excitement. "Here, one of you two together and then that's it, I swear. Though I'd love one of all you kids so grown up and nice-looking."

Wanda posed next to Arnold, throwing her arm around him and making his heart skip a beat.

"Follow us to the car and we'll all pose for a quick picture. We really should get going, but I think we've got time for one picture." She winked up at Arnold and nudged him, "Right, Arn?"

He grinned in spite of himself. "Sure."

They peeled into the front yard Ralphie shouting on cue, "You guys EVER coming?"

Wanda shouted back, "Just a picture!"

Ralphie and Carlos groaned but filed out of the van with Tim and the girls. "Just a picture turns into 'oh, take one with my camera! Mine too! And blah blah blah..." Carlos groaned.

"Nah, I'll Facebook 'em." Arnold reasured his friend.

"Alright! One picture you all!" Mrs. Perlstein called. "Get together!"

They all smiled and finished the picture and piled back into the van, Keesha shouting "Thank's for the picture Mrs. Perlstein!" and the other's shouting "Yeah, thanks!"

"Everybody in?" Ralphie shouted.

"Yes, drive!" Keesha shouted back, laughing.

"We need some tunes," Carlos commented trying to reach over Keesha's shoulder to adjust the radio dial.

Keesha slapped his hand away. "I'll manage the music, Carlos," she said.

Carlos groaned. "Not that crap we listened to on the way over here?"

"Hairspray is NOT crap," Keesha snapped. "But we can change it if you want. Votes?"

"Anastasia!" came an un-Phoebe-ish shout from Phoebe.

Arnold kept his groan internal. He'd found out Phoebe and Keesha's obsession with the Anastasia soundtrack one day when Keesha had given him a ride home from school all the while her and Phoebe singing "In the Dark of the Night" at the top of their lungs.

"3Oh!3!" Wanda requested.

"Don't trust a hoe, don't trust a shovel, don't trust a hoe, don't trust a pitchfork," Carlos sang.

"Carlos!" the van shouted and laughed.

Keesha looked in the rearview mirror. "D.A. I'm thinking we need to move on to another musical," she raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

"What musical?" D.A. asked back, clearly playing along.

Keesha raised her eyebrows further and wiggled them. "Oh I think you know. A very, musical musical. Maybe, a very... Potter musical?"

"NO!" Ralphie protested at once taking a hand from the wheel to stop her from adjusting her ipod.

"Come on, it's funny!"

"I know but Keesh, we've listened to it like, a million times already."

She squeezed his hand, winking. "And yet, you still love me," she grinned as she hit play on her ipod.

Ten minutes later even Arnold was singing along with the others as they pulled into the parking lot of Ralphie's uncle's restaurant:

"Back to wizards and witches, and magical beasts  
To goblins and ghosts and to magical feasts  
It's all that I love, and all that I need-"

And Carlos interupted the end of the opening song with a mighty belch which was met with indignant shouts and laughs. D.A. slapped him on the arm and said exasperated, "you are SUCH a boy!" but even she was laughing.

They were still laughing when they walked into the restaurant.

"It's so nice we're all together again," Phoebe said when they were seated. "It's like old times."

"Yeah, Ralphie's car's a lot noisier than the bus though," Carlos joked.

"But Wanda, where's your... where's Rick?" Phoebe asked, concerned.

Everyone was watching Wanda closely. Wanda took a breath. "Probably going to another prom with another girl I didn't know about before tonight."

"What!" D.A. exclaimed.

"No!" Keesha cried.

"Yes," Wanda answered lightly.

"That bastard," Carlos said.

"Want us to get him for you, Wan?"

Wanda laughed. She was handling the questioning with more ease than Arnold had been expecting. But he could tell she was carefully remaining carefree. "Nah," she said. "He's not worth it. Besides, I'll have more fun with you guys."

"We always had so much fun together," Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, like that time we baked the Frizz a cake?" Wanda chimed in.

It became a dinner of reminiscing.

"It makes me sad," Phoebe said. "We always had so much fun together and now we'll be leaving each other."

"Come on Phoebes," Carlos interjected. "It's not like we'll never talk or see each other again. Email was invented for a reason."

"I know what you mean," Wanda spoke up. "You guys are the best friends I've ever had. I hate to think of leaving you all."

"Hey," Ralphie began, "it's not happening for at least another month. And even then there's at least the summer."

"Ralphie's right," Keesha said. "It's not like this is the END. And even then it's not the END, just... a different sort of see you later."

"You mean goodbye," D.A. supplied. But Keesha shook her head.

"Not goodbye. See you later."

"BUT," Ralphie said.

"And that's a big butt," Carlos joked.

"It's not for at least a bit," Ralphie finished.

Tim spoke up at last. "Come on you guys. It only makes sense to enjoy our time together while we can."  
They all nodded. "We should make a pact," Ralphie declared.

They all nodded again. "To our last month of school and our last summer!" Wanda said raising her glass of coke.

"To Ms. Frizzle's class!" Arnold added.

"To the senior trip!" Wanda exclaimed.

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Reviews are always appreciated!


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